The Coastal Carolina University Presidential Search Advisory Committee has recommended four higher education leaders as finalists for the position of the president of the university. The candidates will make campus visits from Dec. 4 to 8.

The four finalists are: Kyle R. Carter, Ph.D., provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Western Carolina University; David A. DeCenzo, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president of academic administration at Coastal Carolina University; Sue DeWine, Ph.D., provost of Marietta College; and Maurice William Scherrens, Ed.D., senior vice president at George Mason University. The advisory committee met Monday, Nov. 20 to continue the applicant review process for the position of president of Coastal Carolina University. Prior to that meeting, the advisory committee conducted off-site interviews with 11 of the 76 candidates in the pool.

The advisory committee has been working since May to identify a successor for Ronald R. Ingle, who will retire June 30, 2007, following a nearly 14-year tenure as president. It is expected that the board of trustees will name the university's second president in early 2007.

The advisory committee is a group of 12 persons representing a broad base of campus constituencies. The committee reviews applications, interviews candidates and identifies those to be interviewed by the university's board of trustees. The board and the advisory committee are assisted by the search firm Greenwood and Associates Inc. of Miramar Beach, Fla.

Members of the advisory committee are: William H. Alford, Fred F. DuBard Jr. and Samuel H. Frink, representing the board of trustees; Larry Biddle, representing the Coastal Educational Foundation; Julie Rajotte, representing the Horry County Higher Education Commission; Dave Evans, representing the university's Faculty Senate; Sharon Thompson, representing the Coastal faculty; Robert Shelton, representing the CCU Alumni Association; Janet Shokal, a Coastal student and president of the Student Government Association; Danny Nicholson, representing the Coastal administration; and Charles Hodge, chair of the board of trustees. Oran Smith, a trustee who chairs the academic affairs committee, serves as a special adviser.

More about the candidates

Kyle R. Carter has been provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Western Carolina University since 2004. Prior to that appointment he was acting president at Central Missouri State University where he also served as provost and vice president for academic affairs from 1998 to 2004. Carter earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Mercer University, a master's degree in educational psychology and a Ph.D. in educational psychology, both from the University of Georgia.

David DeCenzo has been at Coastal since 2002 when he was named dean of the Wall College of Business. In 2006 he was named provost and senior vice president of academic administration. Before joining the Coastal faculty, DeCenzo served as director of partnership development in the College of Business and Economics at Towson University in Maryland from 1999 to 2002. DeCenzo earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Maryland College Park and a master's degree and Ph.D. from West Virginia University.

Sue DeWine has been provost of Marietta College since 2000. Prior to that appointment she was director of the School of Interpersonal Communication at Ohio University from 1988 to 1999. She earned a bachelor's degree in English and speech education and a master's degree in rhetoric and public address, both from Miami University, and a Ph.D. in interpersonal and organizational communication, counseling psychology from Indiana University.

Maurice William Scherrens has been senior vice president at George Mason University since 1996. He also served as executive vice president for finance and planning at George Mason University from 1985 to 1996. He earned a bachelor's and master's degree in business administration from Central Michigan University, a J.D. from George Washington University and an Ed.D. in higher education from the University of Southern California.

Curricula vitae of each of the four finalists can be found on the Coastal Carolina University web site at www.coastal.edu/presidentialsearch/ . The campus visit schedule will be posted by Nov. 28.